Authors: Sandi Perry
"Oh,
sure,
you're
here,
now.
I
could
have
used
you
a
few
days
ago
when
I
thought
I
was
done
for
this
world.
Don't
start
acting
like
some
merry
bird
now,
like
you're
part
of
a
Disney
movie."
She
looked
at
him
disdainfully,
"Besides,
you
would
never
the
make
the
cut
for
a
movie,
because
you
have
no
color.
Where
are
the
robins?
When
they
show
up
then,
I'll
know
Spring
isn't
too
far
behind.
And
let
me
tell
you,"
she
said
looking
at
the
bird
meaningfully,
"I
really
need
the
season
to
change.
This
was
a
brutal
winter."
She
closed
her
eyes
once
again
to
the
warmth
of
the
sun.
A
shadow
covered
it
a
minute
later
and
she
opened
her
eyes
to
see
Alex,
his
foot
perched
on
the
space
near
her,
leaning
his
elbow
on
his
knee
as
he
peered
into
her
face.
"I
missed
you,
why
did
you
leave?"
he
asked.
"I
didn't
leave,
I'm
right
here."
"No,
I
wanted
you
near
me,
by
my
side."
"I'm
sorry;
I
can't
do
that
just
yet."
He
nodded.
"You
know,
Alex,
I
was
just
thinking
that
we
have
something
in
common.
We
both
grew
up
with
strong
fathers
who
tried
to
control
us,
and
we
learned
how
to
push
back
and
stand
up
for
ourselves.
The
only
difference
now
is
that
your
father
is
still
around
and
you
have
a
chance
to
stop
pushing
back
and
learn
how
to
accept
him
for
who
he
is
and
love
him.
Don't
blow
your
chance."
She
stood
up,
"I
have
something
else
I
have
to
take
care
of
before
the
unveiling
tomorrow."
"It's
at
noon,
right?"
"You
don't
have
to
come,"
Allison
responded.
"I
know
I
don't.
I
want
to
come."
She
smiled
and
reached
over
to
kiss
him
on
the
cheek
and
smooth
his
hair
out
of
his
eyes.
Her
gazed
lingered
on
him
a
minute
longer
before
she
headed
into
the
throngs
of
people
out
enjoying
the
early
spring
day.
****
She
got
to
her
loft
a
short
time
later.
As
she
laid
out
her
clothes
for
the
next
day,
her
stomach
was
in
knots.
But
closure
was
important,
right?
She
dug
out
an
old
diary
that
she
had
kept
in
the
back
corner
of
her
closet.
She
had
not
looked
at
it
in
eighteen
years
and
opened
it
to
the
first
paragraph.
It
felt
toxic
and
she
decided
that
there
was
no
point
in
revisiting
the
past.
The
future
was
the
only
thing
that
counted
now.
She
ripped
out
all
the
sheets
of
paper
and
put
them
in
a
pile
in
the
fireplace.
She
poured
herself
a
glass
of
wine
and
brought
it
over
to
the
sofa.
She
lit
a
match
and
tossed
it
into
the
fireplace.
She
sat
mesmerized
by
the
flames
as
she
watched
them
burn
the
papers
to
ash.
She
shuddered
when
she
thought
a
similar
fate
had
awaited
her
a
few
days
ago,
if
not
for
the
quick
thinking
on
the
part
of
everyone
who
loved
her.
Her
eyes
welled
up
at
the
thought,
and
she
vowed
to
start
acting
like
an
adult
rather
than
a
recalcitrant
child.
She
was
determined
to
treat
even
total
strangers
with
kindness
and
respect.
And
especially
those
nearest
and
dearest
to
her.
She
sat
for
a
few
minutes
longer
with
her
musings
when
she
heard
a
knock
at
the
door.
She
got
up
to
answer
it
and
was
surprised
to
see
Annabelle.
Allison's
expression
must
have
belied
her
shock
because
Annabelle
hurried
to
explain,
"I
didn't
mean
to
pop
over
unannounced,
but
I
didn't
have
your
phone
number
and
I
was
reluctant
to
call
Alex.
Then,
as
I
was
coming
toward
the
building,"
she
gestured
behind
her.
"Your
neighbor
was
coming
in
and
he
said
you
wouldn't
mind
if
I
simply
knocked...I'm
rambling."
"Oh,
what,
no.
Not
at
all.
Please
come
in.
It's
just
that
you're
the
last
person
I'd
expect
to
appear
on
my
doorstep—with
the
exception
of
your
mother.
And
maybe
Brad
Pitt."
"Well,
she
was
really
the
one
who
wanted
to
come,
but
I
volunteered.
My
mother
has
a
way
of
saying
things
that
come
out
sounding
differently
than
what
she
means,"
she
shrugged
ruefully.